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Saturday, October 29, 2016

Syria A Living History at the Aga Khan Musuem

World Premiere of Syria: A Living History
October 15, 2016–February 26, 2017

I have wanted to visit the Aga Khan Museum for a long time. It's been open for 2 years now and it's an incredible structure with nothing like it in North America. In a area of Toronto with mostly office and industry this Museum really stand out. I was lucky to be able to visit the Museum this week for a tour of the Syria: A Living History Exhibit and also a look through the beautiful gift shop and a dinner at Chef Mark McEwen's curated restaurant Diwan where we dined on a flavourful array of Syrian dishes.

The exhibition brings together
over 5,000 years of art highlighting the contributions that the diverse
cultures within Syria — Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Persian,
Ottoman, and Arab — have made to world heritage. A collaboration of museums and private collections in Europe, North
America, and the Middle East with 48 artifacts displayed.

Exhibition highlights include:

· * An eye idol from Tell Brak, Syria, carved around 3,200 BCE;

· * A stele with a depiction of a prayer from Tell Halaf, Syria,
(10th–9th centuries BCE), still bearing the marks of a Second World War bombing
raid in Berlin, Germany;

·Lectures with
leading scholars (November 10, November 13) Featuring Dr. Ross
Burns, historian and author of Monuments
of Syria and Damascus – A History, and Jens Hanssen, Professor of Arab Civilization, University of
Toronto

The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, has been established and developed by the
Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is an agency of the Aga Khan
Development Network (AKDN). The Museum’s mission is to foster a greater
understanding and appreciation of the contribution that Muslim civilizations
have made to world heritage while often reflecting, through both its permanent
and temporary exhibitions, how cultures connect with one another. Designed by
architect Fumihiko Maki, the Museum shares a 6.8-hectare site with the Ismaili
Centre, Toronto, which was designed by architect Charles Correa. The
surrounding park was designed by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic.